New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings have made a dismal start to their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign. In their most recent outing on Tuesday, April 08, they suffered an 18-run defeat against the Punjab Kings, a result that further exposed several vulnerabilities within the squad. Under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK have managed to secure just one win from their five games so far. The only positive result for the Yellow Army came in the season opener against the Mumbai Indians. Since then, the five-time champions have faced four consecutive defeats – two at home and two away.
CSK were convincingly beaten at Chepauk by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals by margins of 50 and 25 runs respectively. The two defeats were followed by a narrow 6-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. The latest setback came in Mullanpur against Punjab. The four consecutive poor results are highly unexpected for a team with such a rich legacy. With just one win in five matches, CSK are currently languishing in the 9th position on the points table, with a concerning net run rate of -0.889.
Chennai Super Kings’ joint-worst start in IPL history
Having lost four of their first five matches, the Chennai Super Kings have equalled their joint-worst start in IPL history. The last time they had such a poor beginning to the tournament was in the 2022 season, where they also managed just one win in their opening five games. That year, CSK could only secure four victories from 14 matches, ultimately finishing 9th on the points table, which was their worst ever IPL performance. Currently at the 9th spot, CSK find themselves on track for repeating their worst IPL season.
Poor captaincy and fielding
Right from the very beginning of the 2025 edition, captain Ruturaj has been guilty of making poor decisions. With plenty of chopping and changing, the playing 11 has not been consistent and look unsettled. So far, a total of 17 players have played for CSK in just five games, which is very unlikely for a team that is well known for playing with unchanged formations.
Gaikwad’s inability to rotate the bowlers has resulted in the team conceding above par totals in every game. On top of that, the fielding has been quite disappointing. Players are dropping easy regulation catches, which eventually result in the opposition batsman capitalising on it in the best manner. So far in 5 games, CSK have dropped 13 catches – the most by any team in this year’s IPL. The IPL giants are in the last spot of catching efficiency this season. Here’s a look at some instances of dropped catches that have proved costly.
1) In the game vs RCB, Rajat Patidar was dropped on 17 by Deepak Hooda. He went on to score 51 from 32 deliveries
2) In the game vs MI, Nitish Rana was dropped on 6 by Khaleel Ahmed. He finished with 81 from 36 deliveries
3) In the game vs PBKS, Priyansh Arya was dropped on 6 by Khaleel Ahmed. He ended with 103 from 42 deliveries.
Poor outing in the mega auctions
During the IPL 2025 mega-auction in November, CSK’s team management struggled to construct a formidable batting line-up. While most franchises focused on acquiring world-class batters to strengthen their middle order, CSK, strangely, took a different route, which has seemingly misfired.
The franchise invested in players like Rahul Tripathi (₹3.4 crore), Vijay Shankar (₹1.2 crore), and Deepak Hooda (₹1.7 crore) – all spent forces – not ideally suited for the high-impact, high-strike-rate demands of the middle overs in T20 cricket. Relying on these players to anchor and accelerate in crunch situations has proven costly, as none have lived up to expectations this season.
The Dhoni dilemma
Chennai Super Kings retained their iconic player MS Dhoni for ₹4 crore as an uncapped player ahead of the mega auction, relying on his experience and leadership. However, CSK’s ongoing struggles with top and middle-order batting have led to an uncertain and inconsistent role for Dhoni this season. Traditionally, a finisher whose position depends on the game situation, Dhoni has been forced into a floating role due to the team’s poor batting performances.
In the game against RCB, he was pushed down to No. 9, with players like Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin promoted ahead of him. In the subsequent matches against Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals, he came in at No. 7, and most recently, against Punjab, he walked in at No. 5. This constant shuffle in Dhoni’s batting position reflects the instability in CSK’s middle order. With no consistent performers to anchor the innings, even a veteran like Dhoni has been unable to find a defined role.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have endured a horror start to IPL 2025, winning only one of their first five matches. Poor batting, coupled with significant fielding lapses and questionable captaincy decisions have contributed to their struggles. The team’s auction strategy and MS Dhoni’s inconsistent batting position further highlight CSK’s issues. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
